Veiled Messenger
by Knavethefish
Summary: A young messenger is sent to deliver a message to AuRel and his mate: Leave their homes or be destroyed. The messenger, named Vaile, is captured by them. He is nothing more than a bard, and after the pair decide to keep him as food for their hatchlings, he has only days to prove he is useful before he's eaten alive by hungry young dragons


Veiled Messenger: A Journey of The Boy Who Walked

Chapter One: A Painful Lesson In the Ways of Dragons

Line or Arnor, dragon bold, flows to me from days of old

_And through years, lost in the mist_

_My blood names a famous list_

_By air by water by fire and earth_

_In pride I claim a noble birth_

_From Emlar gray, a deadly deed, by his flame Erlant was freed_

_Of fearsome hosts of Blighters dark, and took his reward: a golden ark_

_My mother's sire knew battle well, before him nine score villages fell_

_When Auri red coursed the sky, Elven arrow in vain would fly_

_He broke the ranks of men at a will_

_In glittering mines; dwarves he'd kill_

_Grandsire he is through father's blood_

_A river of strength in fullest flood_

_My egg was one of Irelia's clutch,_

_Her wisdom passed in mental touch_

_Mother took up before ever I woke,_

_The parent dragon's heavy yoke_

_For me, her son she lost her life_

_Murderous dwarves brought blackened knife_

_A father I had in the bronze Aurel_

_Hunter of renown upon wood and fell_

_He gave his clutch through lessons hard_

_A chance at life, beyond his guard_

_Father taught me where and when and how_

_To fight of flee, so I sing now._

_Wystalla, brilliant green_

_Escaped with me the axes keen_

_We hunted as pair, made our kill_

_From stormy raindrops, drank our fill_

_When elves and dwarves took after us_

_I told her run, and lost her thus_

_Bound by ropes, by Hazeleye freed_

_And Dolphin rescued in time of need_

_I hid among men in fishing boats_

_On island thick with blown sea oaks_

_I became a drake, and breathed first fire,_

_When dolphin slaughter aroused my ire_

_I ran with wolves of Blackhard's pack_

_Killed three hunters on my track_

_The Dragonblade's men sought my hide_

_But I escaped through a fanged tide_

_Of canine friends, assembled Thing_

_Then met Jaer, who cut collar ring_

_I crossed the steppes, with dwarves of trade_

_On the banks of the Vidic, Ironriders slayed_

_Then sought out Numwak, dragon black_

_Then took Haiba-daughter back_

_To find her kind_

_Then took first flight_

_Saw Numwak buried in honor right_

_When war came to friends I long had known_

_My path was set_

_My heart was stone_

_I sought the source of dreadful hate_

_And on this isle I met my fate_

_Found Natasatch in a cavern deep_

_So I had one more promise to keep_

_To claim this day my life's soul mate_

_In future years to share my fate_

_A dragon's trough is this day pledged_

_To she who'll see me fully fledged_

_Through this dragon's life, as dragon dame_

_Shall add your blood to my family's fame_

_-The Song of the First Advent_

_It was supposed to be simple. All I had to do was get into the cave, quote a bit of poetry, and get out before I burned alive in my own skin. Instead, I fell, had to pull the 'mysterious stranger' act, and got dragged into an adventure I had no part in. I hate the way the universe works. Maybe it intended for me to do this all along. All I know is that I'm intervening in a way I probably shouldn't be._

_To put this story into perspective, I was called upon to bring a message to a family of dragons. Yes, dragons. The big, flying, fire-breathing lizards nobody believes in. When you travel as much as I do, you begin to see places you weren't meant to see, and feel things you weren't meant to bear. From this adventure there were many unexpected events, but I suppose that just fits in with the theme of things, doesn't' it?_

I knelt at the edge of the hole, an ominous feel creeping through my skin. This didn't feel right at all. I quickly reviewed the letter I'd be given:

_There is a family of dragons in the Red Mountains. Find them, and tell them to leave. When you return, let us know of their location and we will take care of the rest. If you survive you may be set free._

The last part of the letter had a bad ring to it, but I needed to do a service to the people who'd given me the letter, otherwise I'd be a hunted man. Funny how when you get caught in a place you're not supposed to be you end up getting arrested and doing things you don't want to do just to survive.

Without thought, I slid down the hole and into the black oblivion below.

Aurel watched the eggs of his clutch for the umpteenth time that day. He'd been nervous these past few months, waiting for his eggs to hatch. He had raised hatchlings before; this was his third clutch with Irelia, but every time he was nervous.

His ears twitched as he heard something. It seemed to be a growing screech coming from the west entrance from the cave. That was the largest and most-used entrance to and from the cave.

Irelia picked up on the noise too, and her head swiveled in the direction of the noise. "Assassin" Aurel rumbled, as the noise became a rather obvious screaming. The assassin became visible as it fell from the large entrance in the ceiling that was the West Entrance.

It took several seconds to fall, and it landed sharply on the rocks below the entrance. It groaned and made no attempt to get up. Aurel stomped over to the Assassin as it lay on the rocks, and opened his mouth to release his _fuah_, his fire.

I looked up from my landing spot to see a massive bronze dragon looking at me. It had impeccable green eyes, thin and slited like a snake's. I watched as it opened its mouth to roast me.

I shot up shouting "Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!" I help up my hands in emphasis, but the dragon did not wait. I rolled off the rocks just in time as a gasp of fire rolled over the rocks, catching the edge of my cloak as it flowed off the rocks with me.

I landed on my elbows, which felt just as bad as landing on my spine. Both my arms and back were very sore and likely going to be badly bruised or worse by tomorrow. If I lived to see tomorrow, that is. I stomped on the end of my cloak to douse the fire. When I next looked up the bronze's neck and head were looming over the rocks and watching me.

"I'm just here to-" I began, before the bronze roared and blasted more flames at me. The rocks that encased me contained the flame, and I was both fast and lucky enough to escape further harm as the rocks contained the fire. I continued explaining myself as I ran from rock to rock, fire cutting me off.

"Give-" another blast, "-a message." _Fuuuhh;_ more fire interrupted me. "So if you-" More blasts, sporadic the time, trying to cover more distance, I thought. "Could stop-" Then a long stream, coating the last rock I was going to run to in fire. "I'd be grateful." I finished, panting after the bursts of speed I'd been forced to put on by the dragon.

I felt hot breath on my left shoulder, and slowly turned to find myself staring into the face of the female dragon. Her green scales reflected much of the firelight that had so very nearly spelled my end. I was too close; there was no way for me to escape alive.

My luck was magnificently timed. She sniffed me, her warm breath washing over me. I leaned away; afraid I was going to be eaten if I smelled good enough. She turned away from me and looked over the rocks. I started to move away slowly, but I merely backed into an outstretched claw, and I was whisked away into the air.

Irelia smelled the supposed Assassin. He had no weapons, from what she could tell. Neither her incredible sight nor sense of smell could detect any metal. She turned to Aurel, who was already making his way toward them.

_I don't smell any metal_ she reported to him mentally. _I don't think he has any weapons at all. He seems harmless enough._

_Best be sure._ Aurel replied _Even so, he would make a good meal for the hatchling. Do you think it'd be possible to keep it alive until then?_

_The eggs have a week or less until they hatch. I should think it wouldn't be difficult if it doesn't have any weapons._

_Perhaps. I think it said something about a message. If it has anything to say, we kill it. If it's here by accident, we can feed it to the hatchlings._

Irelia looked to the human. She saw both fear and wonder in its eyes. It seemed to study her as it began to squirm, attempting to get out of her grasp.

_I can't speak Parl. Try telling it to stop._

Aurel roared at it "Stop!" in accented Parl. Parl was the language of trade and diplomacy throughout the land, and most of the hominids spoke it regularly.

The failed Assassin stopped struggling and looked at Aurel, amazement in its eyes.

"You… can speak Parl?"

The two simply stared at each other for some time, seemingly locked in a battle of wills, neither willing to speak first. Then, the thing spoke: "I have come seeking shelter from men who would see me dead. I respectfully ask that I be allowed to hide here to avoid these men."

The heavily accented Parl came from the green this time, "No. We shall not allow any into our cave. You shall stay here until our eggs hatch, and then you will serve as food for them."

Its brows came together in thought, "Yes," it muttered to itself, "perhaps this _can_ work out in my favor." Then it spoke louder, addressing the great bronze beast in front of it, "Very well then, I accept your offer."

Aurel snorted, and then looked to Irelia. "Lower him." He said, dregs of command in his voice. She did so, and the thing shook itself in a manner not unlike a dog, and proceeded to brush dust off of its yellow cloak.

"That was no offer." Aurel informed it. It seemed not to care and simply shrugged. "You have sealed your fate by entering this place. You can no more kill us than leave."

The raised hood concealed its face, but it seemed to smile before saying, "Oh, I know that was no offer, but I still received my end of the bargain. I suppose it's now my task to help you in whatever ways I can."

Aurel's eyes narrowed dangerously, and his talons bit into the earth. "We need nothing from you. You are food, nothing more."

It raised its arms and smiled. When it raised its arms, it had brought the hood up slightly, and the two dragons were able to see pale skin stretched into a smile. "I am the greatest teller of tales since the tales themselves happened. Some would even go so far as to say I am a necessary part of any story. I am Vaile the Tale Teller, both bard and minstrel, though my harp has since been destroyed by the men who seek me."

Vaile frowned at his hosts' complete lack of astonishment. Usually he had them crowing his greatness by now. _But,_ he thought to himself, _what do I know of large, entertainer-eating, lizards?_

Veiled Messenger: A Journey of The Boy Who Walked

Chapter Two: On the Subject of Playing With Your Food and Making Requests of It

And so began my stay with the family of dragons known to me as Aurel and Irelia. I still have no idea as to how I overheard the strange mental discussion that went on between the dragons, but I thank my lucky stars that it did not show when they spoke of killing me. Unfortunately, this means men would be seeking my hide shortly, and that I was still going to die regardless of who got to me first. Still, I must make note of the fact that dragons make quite the companions when you spend weeks in a cave doing nothing else but re-reading the letter I'd been given.

The penmanship was mediocre to say the least. It was poorly spaced, some letters were greatly elevated above others, and it looked as if the writer didn't know how to hold a quill properly. However, the writer had given the poor penmanship a very likeable air about it, that made me want to hug. The letter, of course, the writer had sentenced me to death by dragon, so I certainly wasn't going to be hugging _him_ anytime soon.

It was perhaps the sixth day I had spent in the cave, lying against one of the many walls of the cave, close to a patch of moss that shone a lovely electric blue. The cave was very dark, and I could only assume its inhabitants had vision superior to mine. The bronze dragon Aurel had already left two days ago on a hunt for food for his soon-to-be family. It appears one entertainer is not enough to feed several dragons.

When suddenly, the green raised her head. I could hear her scales scraping off the rocks she had been resting on. I felt eyes upon me in the darkness. I stared back in what I thought was the direction the stare was originating from.


End file.
